New Bell B30E ADT for Skene Group

Quarry expansion leads to new E-series articulated dumptruck with original D-series model still in play

SKENE Group Construction Services Ltd, one of the leading independent operators within the construction supply sector, have drawn on seven years of success using a Bell Equipment B30D articulated dumptruck (ADT), and have further invested in an evolved B30E model.

The new-breed machine was brought into the fleet within one of Skene’s quarry sites in September, working alongside the company’s existing B30D, which continues to deliver.

Fife-based Skene Group supply concrete blocks, ready-mixed concrete and aggregates throughout Scotland and beyond. 

The company’s two quarries have expanded in recent years to meet growing demand, leading Skene’s taskforce of ADTs, excavators and wheel loaders to perform considerable working hours.

‘The machines we choose to work within the quarries are certainly put through their paces,’ said Skene’s joint managing director, Darren Forrester. ‘We use the ADTs daily, primarily to perform overburden tasks to access rock, but also to shift and retrieve material from the quarries’ main faces for subsequent processing at our static plants.

‘The use of capable ADTs has been essential in achieving these tasks effectively, and we’ve tried and tested the benefits of various makes and models over the years. We bought our first Bell ADT seven years ago and have been truly impressed with the machine’s reliability and performance, right to the present day.’

That machine is still up and running with 7,000 hours under its belt, and its robust performance was a key contributor in forming Mr Forrester’s decision to invest in another Bell.

However, during the time Skene’s B30D has been working in the quarry, Bell Equipment have been further developing the capabilities of future machines, and have presented a new and improved line of vehicles to the market – the E-series.

Development of the E-series took place over five years and led the machines to be stringently tested within some of the harshest mine sites in the world.

With increased suspension travel and an A-frame adaptation to give operators a more independent ride, Bell say the E-series vehicles have already proved a ‘driver success’.

The series offers 6x6 technology to provide class-leading power and weight ratios together with advanced engine and drivetrain characteristics, whilst the improvements made to the onboard diagnostics mean the interface is more detailed, but also user friendly.

‘From experience, we can see why Bell Equipment’s D-series platform was so well regarded by the industry throughout its lifetime, so by carrying its successful platform through to the smaller trucks in the new E-series range and by changing the front suspension to an A-frame layout, there’s a formula in place for another winning succession of machines,’ said Mr Forrester.

‘In short, we’ve been really impressed with the new B30E ADT. It’s a cracking machine that we’ve used every day since delivery, without a hitch.’